The present invention relates generally to means for making diapers, or other undergarments, especially as related to incontinence products. The present invention relates specifically to a diaper which is prefastened in its point of sale container so that the diaper may be used as a pull-on type training pant but may be removed like a regular diaper by separating the front and rear waist portions through disengaging the refastenable fastening means holding the front and rear together. The present invention relates even more specifically to a method of making such prefastened diapers when the diapers are laid out as in-process or precursor diapers, on a web, with their long axes in the cross machine, or cross, direction of the web.
In the known art, there have been two ways of making the diaper web into point of sale items. One is to put refastenable tabs, such as adhesive tape or hook and loop combinations onto the diaper body, in the manner of an infant diaper, for later use to secure the back panel of the diaper to the front panel. A second is to bond the side edges of the front and back waist sections together to make a fixed waist band, in the manner of a training pant which is slid on and off the wearer like a regular adult garment. To remove such a garment if it becomes soiled it is necessary to break the waist band bond in order to remove the garment like a diaper, as convenience and hygiene would dictate.
It is therefore desired to provide a training pant which may be slid-on in the fashion of an adult garment while being easily removeable in the manner of a diaper and which is made with relatively uncomplicated machinery.
In order to satisfy this need the present invention provides a nonwoven, disposable, incontinence garment, such as a diaper, which has refastenable attachment means, such as a hook and look fastening system, for attaching the front panel of the garment to the back panel. The garment is packaged in its point of sale container with the attachment means prefastened so that it can be used immediately as a pull on garment and then removed in the manner of a diaper if so desired. The garment is provided with expansion capability in the area of the fastening system and has in-process bonds which aid in ease of manufacture and use of the garment.
Within the primary attachment means of the refastenable system is additional material which is folded and lightly bonded to itself. The lightly bonded folds provide a bellows of extra material which will expand to provide the larger wearer extra comfort. The attachment means of the rear panel includes extra material which is folded on itself and lightly bonded at the folds to provide an in-process configuration allowing for a more secure bond to be accomplished between the attachment means and the rear panel. The light bonds are not intended to withstand more than a minimal amount of strain, such as the strain of in-process handling. The strain of a wearer pulling on the garment against resistance of the body mass is intended to part the light bonds.
The attachment means of the front panel includes extra material which is folded on itself and lightly bonded at the folds to also provide extra expansion of the diaper. The extra material of the rear attachment means is also lightly bonded to the extra material of the front attachment means to provide extra expansion of the diaper and provide in-process handling advantages. The light bond of the front material to the material of the rear panel attachment means may be made slightly stronger than the other light bonds but is intended to give under a small amount of strain deliberately applied in an effort to remove the garment in the manner of a diaper.